Mason

Stoneworker; mason.

Mason is an English boy’s name drawn from a surname for a stoneworker. Its meaning belongs to the world of craft: shaping stone and building with it. The English occupational word came through French, while the given-name form belongs to English naming usage. In English, Mason is said MAY-suhn, with the emphasis at the beginning and a quiet second syllable. The soft m and trailing n give the name a more easygoing sound than its solid, hands-on meaning might suggest. That combination is its appeal: a contemporary-feeling surname name with a tangible background. Mason may suit a preference for something straightforward and informal without sounding like a diminutive.

Etymology: An English occupational surname adopted as a given name; the underlying trade word came through French.